Tar found on beaches near Maple: More than 50 kg of waste collected

May 31: Since a week, tar have been washing ashore in Yermal, Hejamady, Malpe, Kodi Kanyana, Beejadi and surrounding areas. Due to the waves, the tar were found all along the shore from Malpe to Bijur (near Kundapur), about 30 km in distance.A drive was conducted to clean beaches dirtied by tar or oil sludges in Malpe beach and St Mary’s island.
Ten volunteers along with district administration and Malpe Development Committee collected hazardous waste deposited on Malpe beach which weighed more than 50 kg.
The deposition of tar on the beach has left many worried about the impact of the oil spill on the tourism. Those dependent on tourism to eke out a living feared that the filth will bring disrepute to the beautiful beaches and will have a negative impact on the footfall also. The oil blobs might have a negative impact on fish breeding and force people to stop consuming fish. Pollution Control Board officials reviewed the cleanliness drive conducted at the Malpe beach on Thursday.